FP+ with baby swap

[hicksnichols]

I'm trying to plan for FP+ for a party of 10. One of the ten is a toddler and won't have a ticket so I expect no FP. I know that usually 3 people are allowed to ride with a baby swap. I'm hoping to use FP+ for some of the group and let the others get through with the baby swap card. I understand someone will have to stand in line or use a FP while another gets the baby swap card to ride later. So am I right in thinking I can schedule 6 fast passes for Star Tours (for example) and then the other 3 adults/kids will be able to ride with a baby swap? I don't want to get there and someone have a Disney Meltdown (I only allow each kid one per trip) because she/he didn't get to ride but a sibling did. Also, should I feel a little guilty for using my baby to get additional rides. I'm thinking I should but I kinda don't. TIA

 

[westie55]

Yes, that would work!

 

[hicksnichols]

Yes, that would work!

Thank you! Just needed to be clear. We've been the last four years and I feel we have missed out not using our middle child for child swap! Hope it works out good for us!

 

[DopeyDame]

Yup! We had a group of 12 including 3 babies/toddlers a few years ago. I think we did every possible combination of FP/baby swap imaginable.
We usually only sent one or two FP holders up with the baby and adult to actually get the child swap pass just because we didn't want to block the line with a hord of folks milling around for a baby swap. Those one or two would then get in FP like and just step aside a few feet further down the line to let the rest of the FP group catch up

 

[hicksnichols]

Yup! We had a group of 12 including 3 babies/toddlers a few years ago. I think we did every possible combination of FP/baby swap imaginable.
We usually only sent one or two FP holders up with the baby and adult to actually get the child swap pass just because we didn't want to block the line with a hord of folks milling around for a baby swap. Those one or two would then get in FP like and just step aside a few feet further down the line to let the rest of the FP group catch up

So if I don't actually have a FP but want to get the baby swap from the FP line (when others in my party will ride in the FP line) for those in my party without a FP, is that ok? Or will I have to schedule a FP to get the baby swap for the 3 people?

For example, will this work?: DH, DD16, DF16 have FP for Tower of Terror. I do not have FP. DH, DD, DF, and I (holding a baby) go to the FP line. DH, DD, DF ride from the FP line. I get the baby swap and go. Later two other kids and an adult in my party go the FP line and ride Tower of Terror.

 

[khertz]

So if I don't actually have a FP but want to get the baby swap from the FP line (when others in my party will ride in the FP line) for those in my party without a FP, is that ok? Or will I have to schedule a FP to get the baby swap for the 3 people?

For example, will this work?: DH, DD16, DF16 have FP for Tower of Terror. I do not have FP. DH, DD, DF, and I (holding a baby) go to the FP line. DH, DD, DF ride from the FP line. I get the baby swap and go. Later two other kids and an adult in my party go the FP line and ride Tower of Terror.

I read this a few times but I'm not sure I understand exactly what you're asking. Do you mean you and the baby would go through the FP line? If so, the answer is no. No one without a FP can go through the line, and no one under the height restriction will be allowed in line. There is no child swap at the loading area or exit. The first group of riders needs FP, but those riding later with the child swap pass (up to 3 total) do not need a FP in addition to the rider swap pass.

If you want to use rider swap on something you didn't schedule a FP for, you still can. The first set of riders will just go through the regular standby line first and those using the rider swap pass will go through the FP line.

 

[hicksnichols]

I read this a few times but I'm not sure I understand exactly what you're asking. Do you mean you and the baby would go through the FP line? If so, the answer is no. No one without a FP can go through the line, and no one under the height restriction will be allowed in line. There is no child swap at the loading area or exit. The first group of riders needs FP, but those riding later with the child swap pass (up to 3 total) do not need a FP in addition to the rider swap pass.

If you want to use rider swap on something you didn't schedule a FP for, you still can. The first set of riders will just go through the regular standby line first and those using the rider swap pass will go through the FP line.

Thank you. I just wanted to know if I would need a FP to get the baby swap to use later. It sounds like I wouldn't need one. I didn't know if they would make me scan my band to make sure I have the FP too in order to give me the baby swap pass.

 

[khertz]

Thank you. I just wanted to know if I would need a FP to get the baby swap to use later. It sounds like I wouldn't need one. I didn't know if they would make me scan my band to make sure I have the FP too in order to give me the baby swap pass.

Oh okay now I get it. No you will not need one. The rider swap is like one of the old paper FP so that is all you will need whenever you go back to ride. And you do not need to use it immediately. They expire at the end of the month. So we have saved them to use another day at that park. If we collect a couple at Epcot one morning we save them for an afternoon we are going there when FP pickings would be slim. Hope that helps!

 

[hicksnichols]

Oh okay now I get it. No you will not need one. The rider swap is like one of the old paper FP so that is all you will need whenever you go back to ride. And you do not need to use it immediately. They expire at the end of the month. So we have saved them to use another day at that park. If we collect a couple at Epcot one morning we save them for an afternoon we are going there when FP pickings would be slim. Hope that helps!

Thank you! This does help!!!

 

[DopeyDame]

So if I don't actually have a FP but want to get the baby swap from the FP line (when others in my party will ride in the FP line) for those in my party without a FP, is that ok? Or will I have to schedule a FP to get the baby swap for the 3 people?

For example, will this work?: DH, DD16, DF16 have FP for Tower of Terror. I do not have FP. DH, DD, DF, and I (holding a baby) go to the FP line. DH, DD, DF ride from the FP line. I get the baby swap and go. Later two other kids and an adult in my party go the FP line and ride Tower of Terror.

Sorry - I didn't see this until just now, but it sounds like khertz had you covered.

You do not need to get a fastpass to use the childswap. Getting the childswap card really only changes things for the second group - it doesn't matter which line the first group goes in. So if the first group of riders have a fastpass, that group, plus the baby and an adult, would approach the fastpass line to get the babyswap, but only the first group will have to scan their bands and have a fastpass. If the first group is going to ride standby, then you just all approach the standby line instead. Either way, the baby and adult will get the childswap pass and walk away. 3 people can then use the childswap pass to get in the fastpass line.

 

[heath92681]

Don't feel guilty! Minimizing wait time with little ones is essential!

 

[anpeck]

We're going to Disney in September and it'll be myself, DH, DSD16 and DS2. The last two trips my DSD didn't go so we just skipped all the rides our DS couldn't do, but this trip we are definitely planning on doing the bigger rides like ToT, RnRC, 7DMT, etc.

Can someone dumb down rider swap for me? I've read multiple posts on it but when you throw in FP+ I get totally confused. Does the entire party go through the line together and then switch, or does one party go through and when they come outside the other party goes in? And if my DH and DSD go on together, when they are done can my DSD or DH ride again with me so I don't have to go alone? We have all of our FP+ scheduled together, but in reading above I got the impression that having different FP+ might help in all of us saving time? Or did I misunderstand? Basically... HELP!

 

[DopeyDame]

We're going to Disney in September and it'll be myself, DH, DSD16 and DS2. The last two trips my DSD didn't go so we just skipped all the rides our DS couldn't do, but this trip we are definitely planning on doing the bigger rides like ToT, RnRC, 7DMT, etc.

Can someone dumb down rider swap for me? I've read multiple posts on it but when you throw in FP+ I get totally confused. Does the entire party go through the line together and then switch, or does one party go through and when they come outside the other party goes in? And if my DH and DSD go on together, when they are done can my DSD or DH ride again with me so I don't have to go alone? We have all of our FP+ scheduled together, but in reading above I got the impression that having different FP+ might help in all of us saving time? Or did I misunderstand? Basically... HELP!

First, take some slow deep breaths ;-)
Once you do babyswap once and see how easy it is, it will all make sense.
In the meantime, here are some examples. One is an easy example just to outline the process, and one is a "maximize rides" example.

Example #1 (the basics)
- No one has a fastpass to Big Thunder Mountain.
- Entire party approach the standby line, show the cast member the baby, and she will give you a babyswap pass.
- DH, DSD16 ride Big Thunder Mountain via the standby line while you and DS2 go get ice cream.
- Later on (whenever you want - even a few days later!), You and DSD16 (up to 3 people) ride Big Thunder Mountain via the fastpass line using your babyswap pass while DH and DS2 go play at the playground.

Example #2 (the basics, but with FP+)
- DH and DSD16 have fastpass to Big Thunder Mountain
- Entire party approach fastpass line, show cast member the baby, and get the babyswap pass.
- DH and DSD16 immediately scan their bands and ride Big Thunder Mountain via the fastpass line while you and DSD2 go get ice cream
- Later on (whenever you want - even a few days later!), You and DSD16 (up to 3 people) ride Big Thunder Mountain via the fastpass line using your babyswap pass while DH and DS2 go play at the playground.

Now you'll notice in example #2 that everyone got to ride Big Thunder Mountain via the fastpass line, but only DH and DSD16 needed the fastpasses. And of course DS2 doesn't need a fastpass for anything. One option is for you to get a fastpass for something that the DS2 can do for just a few minutes after the big kid ride. (For example, get a fastpass for yourself for Dumbo to use while the big folks are using their fastpasses to Big Thunder Mountain)
Here is a more complicated option, but it maximizes your "eticket" type rides:

Example #3 (maximizing big kid rides)
- DH and DSD16 get fastpass to Big Thunder Mountain. You get fastpass to Splash Mountain for a different time.

- At BTM fastpass time, Entire party approach fastpass line, show cast member the baby, and get the babyswap pass.
- DH and DSD16 immediately scan their bands and ride Big Thunder Mountain via the fastpass line while you and DSD2 go get ice cream.
- Later on (whenever you want - even a few days later!), You and DSD16 (up to 3 people) ride Big Thunder Mountain via the fastpass line using your babyswap pass while DH and DS2 go play at the playground.

- At splash fastpass time, entire party approach fastpass line, show cast member the baby, and get the babyswap pass.
- You (by yourself) immediately scan your band and ride Splash
- Later on, DH and DSD16 ride splash via the fastpass line using your babyswap pass while DH and DS2 go play at the playground.

The benefit of this is that everyone got to ride both BTM and Splash mountain via the fastpass line, and you all only used one fastpass allotment to do it. The downside is that someone has to ride alone on one of the rides and that the baby has a lot of waiting around time. But it's an option that I wanted you to think about.

Hope this helps!